Chapter 374: Wang Feng dependence ?
In December, in the 14th round of La Liga, Real Madrid staged a 2-1 comeback victory against Santander Athletic away. In the 23rd minute of the match, the home team scored a goal by Pérez, putting the away team in a disadvantaged position.
However, nearing the end of the first half, Wang Feng used a direct free kick to help the team equalize the score. Then, in the 67th minute of the second half, it was again the Chinese superstar who received a through pass from Guti, chipping the ball with his right foot inside the penalty area to score, completing a brace and allowing the Galacticos to leave the Santander Athletic Stadium unscathed.
After the game, the rare occurrence of a single match week led everyone to decide to stay in Santander for an extra day to relax. As a pleasant coastal city in northern Spain, Santander had plenty of sunshine even at the end of the year.
The Sardinero district where the Santander Athletic Stadium is located boasts vast beaches. Walking on them and gazing at the horizon made all fatigue seem to vanish.
Wang Feng said with some delight, "The environment here is really great. I can bring my wife here for vacation in the future." Having been in Spain for over a year, he was always busy with various matters and hadn't been able to explore properly.
Raúl nodded in agreement. The refreshing scenery indeed made people linger. "Since stepping onto the professional player path, I've been traveling around and rarely have the opportunity to stop and enjoy the scenery, to be with family."
Like Wang Feng, he also valued family greatly. The two talked a lot about family and children, providing great inspiration for the Chinese man who was soon to become a father.
As the Galaxy battleship returned to the Bernabéu to face the challenge of Athletic Bilbao, Wang Feng traveled alone to Paris, France to receive the European Ballon d'Or award. Without the presence of the Chinese superstar and Robben, two frontline generals, Real Madrid struggled significantly.
Although Raúl helped the team score a goal in the first half, the lack of threat on the attacking end allowed the Basque Eagles to show their teeth. They quickly turned the tide with two consecutive goals and ultimately defeated Real Madrid 2-1. Fortunately, this loss did not affect their position at the top of the standings.
Three days later, in the final round of the Champions League group stage, Real Madrid welcomed Lazio at home. The coaching staff believed that since the team had already advanced, it was not wise to expend too much energy. Therefore, they fielded a team of all substitutes and young players. Fatigued from travel, Wang Feng didn't even make the squad list.
The result of the match was naturally disappointing, with the Galacticos losing 0-2 to their opponents. Initially just an inconsequential match, it took on a different tone under the influence of some Catalan media.
The Spanish newspaper "Vanguardia" compiled all of Real Madrid's records since Wang Feng joined and was surprised to find that without the Chinese superstar on the field, Real Madrid's performance was very poor. They either drew or lost, with hardly any victories.
"The Galaxy battleship has developed a severe dependency on Wang Feng. Without him, the team is nothing. This is not a good sign, as it means the value of other players is not being realized."
This article was quickly circulated and commented on by media outlets like "Marca," some even going so far as to say that players other than Wang Feng were useless and not worth their current valuation.
Public opinion erupted, this was blatant manipulation!
Real Madrid coach Schuster quickly refuted this view in an interview: "Wang is in excellent physical and mental condition, so his attendance rate in the team is high. Generally, the matches he doesn't participate in are either inconsequential or for training purposes. The outcome cannot indicate a problem."
"When a technically outstanding and injury-resistant player appears, I think everyone would choose to build tactics around him as the core. But that doesn't mean others haven't contributed. The achievements of the Galaxy battleship are the result of the collective efforts of the players, with Wang's contribution being the greatest, that's all."
Wang Feng also refuted the Catalan media's views in an exclusive interview with "AS": "Raúl is technically refined, he has always been on the field distracting the defense. Robben is very fast, with sharp breakthroughs, and will provide favorable support for me. Guti..."
He summarized the characteristics of all the players in one breath and concluded, "Without their support, I couldn't achieve what I have now, and Real Madrid wouldn't have the current results."
"I really doubt whether these media outlets understand football at all, yet they dare to comment irresponsibly. It's really too irresponsible!"
"AS" published the interview transcript as it was, allowing everyone to feel the maturity and wisdom of the Chinese superstar. He treats each teammate with care, remembering their contributions and characteristics, which is enough to move people.
The attempt by Catalan media to sow discord within the Galaxy battleship completely failed, instead making the team more cohesive. Even Florentino, upon seeing the reports, couldn't help but sigh, "Wang is truly a born leader!"
Seeing the smile on the club president's face, Sánchez understood that his mood was very good, so he chimed in, "Yes, I originally thought it was a major crisis for the team, but I didn't expect Wang Feng to resolve it with wisdom in an instant."
"To be honest, I now want to recruit him into the Real Madrid management. He would surely do a great job, but considering his age, I'm afraid we'll have to wait many more years. Let him first achieve extraordinary results for the Galaxy battleship, haha."
The Spaniard's expression suddenly became serious, and he said, "How is Raúl's attitude? Is he willing to leave Real Madrid voluntarily?" The rift between the Real Madrid president and captain was almost a public secret within the club, but both were very rational and did not have a falling out.
The root cause of the conflict was incompatible ideologies. Raúl admired former president Sanz and disliked Florentino, a businessman. He also had reservations about his superstar policy, hoping Real Madrid would continue to adhere to localization.
The period of irreconcilability between the two was in the 2003-2004 season, when the Galaxy battleship's performance was poor. The Real Madrid captain made some unfavorable remarks, angering Florentino, who even personally instructed "Marca" to smear him.
With Wang Feng's arrival, the team also achieved results, so these conflicts gradually went underground. However, Florentino had no intention of keeping Raúl until retirement. This was also why the Real Madrid captain was pessimistic about ending his career with the Galacticos.
Sánchez also put away his smile, somewhat helplessly saying, "He feels that his form has not declined significantly yet, so he currently has no intention of leaving. Moreover, he is very popular among the fans, and Valdano also speaks highly of him. It's probably difficult to move him now."
Florentino nodded, realizing that this matter could only be approached gradually, "Keep a close eye on the situation in the dressing room, further enhance Wang's position in the dressing room, and it would be best for him to take over as captain after Raúl leaves."
Sánchez was surprised, "President, according to convention, the Real Madrid captaincy is based on seniority. Next should be Casillas, and besides, Wang Feng is a foreigner."
Florentino abruptly interrupted him, "What kind of thing is Casillas? He's a black hole, a scam, a huge failure for the team. I will never allow such a person to become captain!" For some reason, the Real Madrid president had a deep-seated prejudice against San Iker.
"Wang Feng is smarter than all the others. Him becoming captain is the most suitable choice." Sánchez nodded with a bitter smile. This was really a tough job. Doing these things without disrupting the team's harmony was indeed a test of "technique."
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